HSHMC Syllabus English 4 2013 - 2014 Instructor:

John Goodwin jgoodwin@hshmc.org 858-349-9629

Course Overview and Purpose:

Human beings have always used the language arts (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) to make sense of life, to feel at home in the universe, and to make a difference in their world. Being a literate reader of the world can help in the process of self-discovery, enriching our lives and preparing us to be better participants in life. In this course, students will demonstrate sophisticated strategies as they analyze, evaluate, and elaborate on what is read, critique the credibility of information, and compare works and provide evidence to support ideas. This will be accomplished through reading narrative and informational texts, writing, oral presentations and discourse.

Class Structure:
This class meets every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday throughout the school year. Lectures large groups of 25 or more students where information is presented on a given topic in a university style presentation venue with teacher modeling Small Groups a time for students to meet with instructors individually in reading conferences and in groups of up to 15 to review reading and writing strategies and engage in book clubs in a more personalized setting Independent Reading students will complete a minimum of 60 minutes of weekly silent reading Readings: Students are expected to explore a wide range of genres which will include, but is not limited to: short stories, essays, news magazines, graphic novels, poetry, plays, literature and Empower 3000 articles. Students will read these texts at school and at home daily. Empower 3000: As part of the English curriculum, students are expected to complete a minimum of 50 activities in Empower 3000 per semester. To receive credit for the activities, students must earn at least 75% correct answers on the quiz related to the reading. Grades on this competency will scale from A to I consistent with the HSHMC grading scale. The goal of a graduating 12th grader is to read 2 million words independently! As a result, reading daily is critical.

Controversial Topics:
Consistent with the California State Content Standards, this course may include controversial topics. The faculty does not endorse particular political or social agendas and will present a sensitive, balanced, and objective approach to these topics, with a goal of developing informed and responsible attitudes toward people, cultures, religions, societies, and environments in the spirit of scholarly inquiry. 1

General Classroom Conduct and Expectations:

To ensure a safe and productive learning environment for everyone: all HSHMC rules and policies apply be prepared to learn respect the instructors right to teach and the students right to learn ask clarifying questions if and when necessary Consequences for Violating Classroom Conduct and Expectations: Violations of school and/or classroom expectations will be addressed immediately and consistently. Violations to school policies will be referred to the Dean. Within the classroom, consequences are as follows: 1st Offense: Warning 2nd Offense: Intervention and/or Parent/Guardian contact 3rd Offense: Intervention and Parent/Guardian contact 4th Offense: Referral to Dean Please note that a severe case of disrespect toward other students or instructors will not be tolerated and may result in immediate removal from class. Homework Policy: Any work not completed in class, implicitly becomes homework. Additional homework may be assigned as needed.

Classroom Policies and Procedures

Attendance Policy: Regular class attendance and punctuality are required and expected. Students are responsible for having a study buddy in class to collect notes, materials, assignments, and other information when class time is missed due to tardy or absence. Active Participation: All students are expected to participate fully in class and students will be held responsible for materials presented. Students are expected to work in pairs, small groups and individually. Lectures will be interactive and will require preparation through assigned readings, notes, critical thinking, discussions, and collaborative projects. Students will be assessed on their knowledge displayed through their participation in addition to their social participation skills developed and demonstrated through participation. We will work on developing collaboration skills throughout this course. Required Materials Spiral notebook Pens/pencils/highlighters/markers/small pair of scissors Folder/binder (section dedicated to English 4) Current independent reading material Code of Academic Integrity: The students of HSHMC, united in a spirit of mutual trust and fellowship, mindful of the values of a true education and the challenges posed by the world, agree to accept the responsibilities for 2

honorable behavior in all academic activities, to assist one another in maintaining and promoting personal integrity, and to follow the principles and procedures in this Code of Academic Integrity. Violations include: Duplication in any manner of anothers work during an exam; Allowing another to duplication your work; Paraphrasing of anothers work closely, with minor changes but with the essential meaning, form and/or progression of ideas maintained; Piecing together sections of the work of other into a new whole; Submitting ones own work which has already been submitted for assessment purposes in another subject; Producing assignments in conjunction with other people (e.g. another student, a tutor) which should be your own independent work Consequences for not following the academic code of integrity may include receiving a zero on the assignment, failing the course, and/or suspension/expulsion from the school.

Grading Policies and Procedures

Grading Scale: 100 93 % = A 92 90 % = A89 87 % = B+ 86 84 % = B 83 80 % = B79 77 % = C+ 76 74 % = C 73 70 % = CBelow 70% = Incomplete An Incomplete will immediately require an academic recovery contract to be completed by the school, family and student. HSHMC requires that students receive a C- or higher in all core academic courses to receive credit. Students will receive a grade of Incomplete when their performance does not meet the requirements of this course which are based on state standards. If a students overall performance in any given 9 week term falls below a C-, the student will earn an Incomplete in the course. An Incomplete in any course requires the development of an Academic Recovery Plan, which must be approved by the teacher, parent, and Vice President for Academic Affairs. When the student completes the work outlined on the Academic Recovery Plan, the student is assigned a grade for the course. However, if the student leaves HSHMC, or one year elapses after the development of the contract, the course grade will be recorded as F and no units will be awarded. Honors Option: All students at HSHMC have the option of taking core classes for Honors Credit. This is a contract signed by the teacher, student and family, and describes the details of honors level work. Honors credit will be discussed in class by October 5, 2012. Final Grades will be based on: There are 16 competencies each worth approximately 6% of the final grade. The competencies 3

are broken up into four quarters of the academic school year. Critical Analysis of Reading, Empower 3000, and Vocabulary meet the needs of 3 competencies each and will be evaluated at the end of each semester. Participation: Grades in English are calculated as an average of the scores on the competencies, required during a specific semester. The teacher may modify the final grade average by 10% plus or minus, based on the students participation in the class. Participation includes: engagement in lessons and activities, completing in-class tasks, and reading independently. Significant lack of participation may result in an incomplete in the class regardless of competency scores. We expect that students take an active role in their learning and engage in behaviors consistent with learning. Failure to do so will be communicated with the students and his/her family. Grading Periods: Students will receive a First Quarter Progress Report reflecting progress during the first quarter; a Semester Grade Report reflecting achievement for the entire first semester; a Third Quarter Progress Report reflecting progress during the third quarter; and a Final Grade Report reflecting cumulative achievement for the entire year/course. Make-up Policy: After an excused absence, students are responsible for getting any work or notes they missed and turning in make-up work promptly. Any assignment that was due the day of an absence will be due the day the student returns. Students are also responsible for making arrangements with the instructor to make up any tests or quizzes within one week of an excused absence. Students receive no credit for any tests or assignments missed due to an unexcused absence Late Work: All assignments are to be turned in on time. Partial credit may be available for late work. However, in order to receive extra credit all assignments must be turned in. Access to Grades & Information: Information about this course may be found on PowerSchool, accessible through our school website (www.hshmc.org) and on the Blackboard website. Parents/guardians are encouraged to use PowerSchool to access (or have e-mailed to you) progress reports and grades throughout the year/course. The instructor is also accessible to students and parents/guardians through phone, email, and/or scheduled meetings. Please see contact information at the top of this syllabus.

Online Interaction
Haiku Haiku will be used in our class as our Learning Management System. You will submit assignments, work on projects, and discuss English content with your peers through Haiku. It is expected that you follow all HSHMC technology policies when intereacting in an online environment. These policies are discussed in the HSHMC handbook. Discussion Board You will be responding to questions posed by your teacher and peers through a discussion board 4

format weekly. It is expected that you follow discussion board protocol and utilize strategies for purposeful conversation as you post responses. Google Accounts You will need to set up a Google account so you can access different Google tools including presentations, documents, images, email, etc. Technical Requirements Haiku Account HSHMC Account Google Account Up-to-date web browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari recommended)

English 4 Course Sequence

By the end of the course students should have developed competencies in the following areas: First Quarter: Essential Question 1: Creative Writing/Poetry Personal Narrative/Autobiographical Incidents (expansive writing) Empower 3000 Vocabulary Critical Analysis of Reading Second Quarter: Essential Question 2: Research Paper (expository and summative) Empower 3000 Vocabulary Critical Analysis of Reading